7 Books to Read in Honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat-Month

Lauren Diaz
June 25 2018
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Did you know that June happens to be adopt-a-shelter-cat month? It also marks the height of “kitten season,” which sounds terribly cute but is actually terribly sad. This is the time of year when thousands of newborn kittens join the millions of homeless cats already overwhelming shelters across the country. So we’re not telling you that you have to go out and adopt a cat, but hey, maybe go out and adopt a cat! While you take a few days to mull it over, here are 7 books to get you in the cat-rearing spirit.

This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.

A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman

A charming tale of unexpected friendship…and it also sports a few fuzzy costars. First of all, meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes—yet he does enjoy the company of some rather unkempt cats. And hey, if the cranky old man next door still enjoys a good cat, so can you!

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A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman

“If you like to laugh AND feel moved AND have your heart applaud wildly for fictional characters, you will certainly fall for the grumpy but lovable Ove (it’s pronounced “Oo-vuh,” if you were wondering).”

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The Lion in the Living Room
by Abigail Tucker

A fascinating read about how cats conquered the world and, soon, your heart! Let’s face it: cats offer us no practical benefits, and yet we are downright infatuated with these tiny felines. How did they tame us and why am I scooping their litter? Read the book to find out, and remember, the appropriate reaction to a house cat is both “aww” and awe.

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The Lion in the Living Room
Abigail Tucker

A New York Times bestseller about how cats conquered the world and our hearts in this “deep and illuminating perspective on our favorite household companion” (Huffington Post).House cats rule bedrooms and back alleys, deserted Antarctic islands, even cyberspace. And unlike dogs, cats offer humans no practical benefit. The truth is they are sadly incompetent mouse-catchers and now pose a threat to many ecosystems. Yet, we love them still. In the “eminently readable and gently funny” (Library Journal, starred review) The Lion in the Living Room, Abigail Tucker travels through world history, natural science, and pop culture to meet breeders, activists, and scientists who’ve dedicated their lives to cats. She visits the labs where people sort through feline bones unearthed from the first human settlements, treks through the Floridian wilderness in search of house cats-turned-hunters on the loose, and hangs out with Lil Bub, one of the world’s biggest celebrities—who just happens to be a cat. “Fascinating” (Richmond Times-Dispatch) and “lighthearted” (The Seattle Times), Tucker shows how these tiny felines have used their relationship with humans to become one of the most powerful animals on the planet. A “lively read that pounces back and forth between evolutionary science and popular culture” (The Baltimore Sun), The Lion in the Living Room suggests that we learn that the appropriate reaction to a house cat, it seems, might not be aww but awe.

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MENTIONED IN:

7 Books to Read in Honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat-Month

By Lauren Diaz | June 25, 2018

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I Am Pusheen the Cat
by Claire Belton

The cutest collection of kitty comics you’ll ever have the wonderful opportunity of owning! The star of the show, Pusheen, is a chubby, tubby tabby who has taken the internet by storm with her signature animated bops, bounces, and tail wiggles. This book is both a guide and a thesis to why millions of people have fallen madly in love with a cartoon cat. Judge me now, but you’ll get there, too

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I Am Pusheen the Cat
Claire Belton

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Mr. Flood’s Last Resort
by Jess Kidd

A mesmerizing tale of a lonely caregiver and a cranky hoarder with a house full of secrets…and feral cats. Okay, I’m not telling you to become the lone occupant of a Gothic mansion crawling with kitties. Think of this as an eccentric mystery with a side of cautionary tale. DO adopt 1–2 shelter cats. DON’T adopt them all (at least not all at once). DO read this book!

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Mr. Flood’s Last Resort
Jess Kidd

From the award-winning author of Himself, the spellbinding tale of a lonely caregiver and a cranky hoarder with a house full of secrets. “A magically entertaining read…Jess Kidd has a gift for creating characters you’ll love with a few cleverly chosen words.” —Good Housekeeping (UK), Book of the Month “A rare delight.” —Cosmopolitan (UK)Maud Drennan is a dedicated caregiver whose sunny disposition masks a deep sadness. A tragic childhood event left her haunted, in the company of a cast of prattling saints who pop in and out of her life like tourists. Other than visiting her agoraphobic neighbor, Maud keeps to herself, finding solace in her work and in her humble existence–until she meets Mr. Flood. Cathal Flood is a menace by all accounts. The lone occupant of a Gothic mansion crawling with feral cats, he has been waging war against his son’s attempts to put him into an old-age home and sent his last caretaker running for the madhouse. But Maud is this impossible man’s last chance: if she can help him get the house in order, he just might be able to stay. So the unlikely pair begins to cooperate, bonding over their shared love of Irish folktales and mutual dislike of Mr. Flood’s overbearing son. Still, shadows are growing in the cluttered corners of the mansion, hinting at buried family secrets, and reminding Maud that she doesn’t really know this man at all. When the forgotten case of a missing schoolgirl comes to light, she starts poking around, and a full-steam search for answers begins. Packed with eccentric charms, twisted comedy, and a whole lot of heart, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is a mesmerizing tale that examines the space between sin and sainthood, reminding us that often the most meaningful forgiveness that we can offer is to ourselves.

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MENTIONED IN:

7 Books to Read in Honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat-Month

By Lauren Diaz | June 25, 2018

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Kafka on the Shore
by Haruki Murakami

This book features two interrelated plots, an Oedipal curse, magical realism, and, of course, cats. The even-numbered chapters in this modern classic tell the story of Nakata: an older man who lost his mental faculties as a child. Though the bizarre incident left him without many cognitive abilities, he somehow gained the ability to communicate with cats. He uses this gift to work as a finder of lost cats, and one particular case takes him on a journey that veers further away from his home than ever before.

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Kafka on the Shore
Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom. As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder.

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7 Books to Read in Honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat-Month

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Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats
by T. S. Eliot and Edward Gorey

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats quite possibly invented whimsy, and who knew Eliot was such a cat man? This collection of poetry, initially written for Eliot’s godchildren, is all about his favorite type of feline and features some fanciful names you might wish to borrow (nudge nudge, wink). Another fun fact: Cats the musical is based on this book, albeit loosely.

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Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats
T. S. Eliot and Edward Gorey

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats quite possibly invented whimsy, and who knew Eliot was such a cat man? This collection of poetry, initially written for Eliot’s godchildren, is all about his favorite type of feline and features some fanciful names you might wish to borrow (nudge nudge, wink). Another fun fact: Cats the musical is based on this book, albeit loosely.

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MENTIONED IN:

7 Books to Read in Honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat-Month

By Lauren Diaz | June 25, 2018

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If It Fits, I Sits
by Various

If It Fits, I Sits: Cats in Awkward Places will convince you to fall in love with a cat, if nothing else has so far. This collection contains hundreds of photos of cats caught squeezing themselves into weird and awkward places. They love it, we love it, life is good. So adopt a cat and maybe a cardboard box or two.

My final argument is this: There is no greater comfort than reading with a warm kitty curled up on your lap. And for a cat, there’s no greater comfort than a loving home.

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If It Fits, I Sits
Various

We’ll probably never know why our furry friends insist upon squeezing themselves into weird and awkward places, but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the ensuing cuteness!With over one hundred photos of cats caught in the act, If It Fits, I Sits captures the quirky, adorable, and no-nonsense spirit of felines everywhere.

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MENTIONED IN:

7 Books to Read in Honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat-Month

By Lauren Diaz | June 25, 2018

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